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February 4, 2016

Beyond the Silence {Tracie Peterson, Kimberley Woodhouse}

Lillian Porter has always
wanted to fulfill her mother's dream of going west, so when she hears about a
nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she defies her grandfather and takes
a chance on a new future. But she quickly wonders if she made the right choice.
There are rumors in town that her new employer, Woodward Colton, caused the
death of his wife. This accusation doesn't match the man Lillian comes to
know--and Mrs. Goodman, Woody's long-time housekeeper, is decisively on Woody's
side--but many in town stay far away from Lillian because of her association
with the Colton family.

Lillian's six-year-old charge, Jimmy, was there
when his mother died, and he hasn't spoken a word since. Gently, Lillian tries
to coax him out of his shell, hoping he'll one day feel safe enough to tell her
the truth about what happened. But the Colton olive farm is no longer a safe
place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their land and mysterious
damage done to the farm. Will Mrs. Goodman and Jimmy be able to speak what they
know in time to save Lillian from tragedy?

My Thoughts:

This book truly had it
all. I found myself laughing and crying. Grieving through tragedy and rejoicing
through triumphs. Worrying over some characters while wishing evil on others. A
book full of all the emotions.

This book had me from the very beginning. It was obvious
from the moment we met Lillian she was a women capable of standing up for
herself. She threw away a lavish lifestyle and the only family she had just to
follow her dreams. Her determination had me cheering for her from the very
beginning.

As she arrived in Angels Camp, I was immediately annoyed
with the towns people. They took it upon themselves to trash a man’s reputation
to a newcomer. I had little hope for everyone in town, but I was so glad to see
most of them redeemed by the end of the book.

Little Jimmy won my heart immediately. The tiny child
witnessed his mother’s murder and became silent. It warmed my heart how quickly
he accepted Lillian and was willing to allow her to fill the motherly void in
his life. It was apparent he developed a deep love for Lillian, and I wanted
nothing more than to see the two of them happy at the end of this book.

As this book moved along, tragedy continued to take
place. We witnessed one of the most evil characters I have seen in a long time,
and my heart felt very cold for this man. It was refreshing to see Lillian turn
to God on such frequent occasion and use her relationship with the Lord to get
past the evil from the man.

In the end, we get to witness God’s amazing love and support
for his people. He does not always work in our time, but when God is ready, He
does some miraculous things. He is able to heal a family, and an entire town.
He is able to replace grief with love, and bring happy endings to all those who
trust Him. It was beautiful to see these truths become so obvious in this book.

Put this one on your reading list for sure.

Tracie
Peterson is a bestselling author who writes in both historical and contemporary
genres. Her novels reveal her love for research as well as her strong desire to
develop emotionally meaningful characters and stories for her readers. Tracie
and her family live in Montana.

Kim Woodhouse is a
devoted wife and mother, and a third generation Liszt student. She has passed
down her love of the arts to hundreds of students over the years, recorded
three albums, and appeared at over 700 venues.

Her quick wit, enthusiasm, and positive outlook
through difficult circumstances have gained her audiences at conferences,
retreats, churches, military functions, and seminars all over the country.

The Woodhouse family’s story has been on the front
page of newspapers, in magazines, articles, medical journals, and most recently
featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They were also asked to share
their story on The Montel Williams Show and Discovery Health Channel’s Mystery
ER.

Kim has been writing seriously for fifteen years.
Songs, plays, short stories, novels, picture books, articles, newsletters – you
name it – she’s written it. It wasn’t until a dear friend challenged her to “do
something with it”, that she pursued publication. She now has multiple books to
her credit, with more on the way.

Kim lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado
with her husband and their two children in a truly “Extreme” home.